When it comes to games built around a central gimmick, it’s not uncommon for everything else to take a backseat. Gameplay, character, storytelling, even technical components can get overlooked in favor of every available resource being funneled into some novel mechanic. There are, however, the exceptions which motivate the continued pursuit of these unorthodox innovations–gimmicks which serve as a jumping off point for developers to build around, instead of the singular, soulless selling point so many curios end up as instead. The sunlight-centric gameplay of Konami’s unique stealth-action dungeon crawler is a testament to this rare accomplishment. Where other titles use their motivating premise of encouraging children to play outside as little more than a vapid mission statement, Boktai marries its intent to the foundation of the very narrative of the game itself, emphasizing the need for sunlight as not only paramount to the functional mechanics of the game, but for the practical eradication of the maleficent undead plaguing this world’s existence as well.

When I first found out about the series last year, I made it my mission to track down an original Boktai cartridge for the authentic, intended experience. Although unique hardware gimmicks such as Boktai’s built-in solar sensor allow for unique gameplay opportunities, by virtue of their unique design conceits their preservation is made intrinsically harder. It’s not a game which can be simply ported, or even emulated for a perfectly simulated experience, seeing how important the variable environment you play the game in is meant to affect what you see and do. If the potency of the sun only affected the strength of your primary weapon, then perhaps an argument could be made that emulation or the like could approximate the experience enough to be considered more or less equivalent. But because of how incorporated the solar strength detection is to every element of the game’s design–boss battles, puzzle design, enemy behavioral patterns, etc.–the experience of seeing your pursuit of the sun’s empowering rays of light mirrored in your adventure navigating the destitute lairs of the game’s undead antagonists is one which cannot be so simply recreated.

Right from the start, the appeal of this inaugural title is understood. Even if you stripped away the central sunlight mechanic, the mere narrative premise alone is enough to engage in. Without much pretense you’re thrown into an apocalyptic world of the undead, ruled over by a cult of vampire overlords known as the Immortals. As Django, the cooly Western-inspired vampire-hunting protagonist, you’re tasked with infiltrating the macabre mansions of these Immortals, defeating them with your sacred Solar Gun, and then dragging their coffins back through the dungeon to eradicate them for good with the unadulterated aura of the sun’s magnified rays. It’s an immensely alluring sales pitch all on its own, but when paired with the solid stealth gameplay and puzzle-solving peppered throughout the game’s myriad dungeons it becomes a must-play experience. The theming of the central dungeons starts off fine enough: a fairly standard mansion to start things off followed by a fire and ice castle you can approach in whichever you prefer first. It’s after this that they get a little more unique, whisking you away to such fascinating locales as a city in the sky as well as what can only be described as a gothic space station orbiting the planet. It’s all quite imaginative and whimsical, with each area sporting a handful of unique mechanics for navigation.

Despite so much of the gameplay revolving around sunlight there’s actually surprisingly few puzzles that utilize it as you’d expect. There’s one recurring mirror puzzle in the Sky City that functions in this way, in addition to needing you to obscure your solar sensor in certain sections to prevent a strong breeze from knocking you over in the exterior parts of the dungeon. For the most part, though, Boktai relies on a staple of block pushing and environmental riddle puzzles as its primary flavor of challenge. Both are generally welcome inclusions, well-implemented and even occasionally received with an option to have the puzzle solved for you if you simply cannot figure it out. Such noteworthy brain-ticklers for my playthrough included a hedge-maze in the shape of a random number you have to use as a passcode to progress, a block-pushing equation puzzle that gets a nice twist in the final dungeon by making you look at the formula upside-down to create the correct answer, and a passcode that changes based on the time set at the beginning of the game. There are occasional duds in the mix–such as the ever present ice sliding puzzles and a section that required the use of consumable items you pick up throughout the dungeon, punishing any attempt to backtrack while exploring–but on the whole these are all enjoyable tasks that reward you for engaging in their distinct mechanics.

The game’s action is presented from an isometric viewpoint, which works well for the stealth mechanics of the game, and less so for the combat. This is a wise dichotomy, however, as it encourages engagement with the former more than the latter, imploring you to rely on your weapons only in the most fraught of scenarios. For as powerful as Django’s Solar Gun is, it takes a lot of your limited resources to eradicate even the most insignificant of enemies, so you’re much better off trying to sneak around them completely. Very often, you’ll even find yourself rewarded with helpful items by taking the attention of an enemy away from their designated patrol area to crack open a chest they were guarding. There are a lot of different weapon enhancements to discover and play with throughout the game, many of which are optional attachments for your Solar Gun that change how they fire. This is a fun bit of customizability the game provides, but on occasion the limited text provided in their descriptions creates confusion. There were a couple of different parts I simply didn’t engage with, because it was ultimately unclear what they actually did, even after testing them on enemies and objects alike. The manual was likewise unhelpful, and due to the game’s obscure nature even online resources turned up little help in this area. Ultimately, these are ancillary components of the game, though, and don’t detract from the core experience.

Similarly, there are a handful of additional elements the game packs in that feel wholly unnecessary, but nonetheless aren’t hurting anything with their presence. The fruit garden and sunlight loan systems provide the player with additional ways of accessing resources at a cost, but the game is generally so plentiful in providing you both that you really don’t need to interact with these places at all. Sunlight in particular is (obviously) an infinite resource you can replenish so long as a cloud isn’t blocking your view, but even if you want to play on a rainy day there’s means of accessing reserves of sunlight through both consumable items and special rooms in dungeons that act as a storage station. The plethora of options to access the game’s primary resource, even when the solar sensor gimmick is uninvolved, once again reinforces the notion that Boktai is a fully fleshed out game first, and a marketing schtick second.

The experience of playing Boktai is ultimately an unparalleled one; not because it is particularly outstanding in its design, but because of its uniqueness and charm. The game feels most limited by the capabilities of the GBA rather than the restraint of its gimmick, marred by cryptic messages and a confounding map that can send you in circles if you don’t learn to read it well. But in many other ways, it demonstrates a greater ability for its hardware than most are willing to recognize. For instance, I cannot think of another game which features crystal-clear voice acting, as Boktai does, for a system infamous for its lack of a dedicated sound chip. More than anything, however, Boktai deserves its place in gaming history as both a unique and innovative title, as well as a sound and atmospherically cogent stealth-adventure game meriting recognition even outside of its mechanical conceit. The reason it remains so obscure today is not from a lack of quality, but rather, a lack of access. The same characteristics which make it so distinct are just as responsible for its cultural scarcity, which is a tragedy. Nevertheless, its legacy will persevere in the nostalgic hearts of those who first experienced its wonder, and through the preservation of its existence thanks to some well-orchestrated cross-over promotion. And today, it’s persevered through my testimony, and my newfound adoration for this beautifully articulated, totally unique, irreplicable gaming experience.